Summer Soundtracking 101: The chill art of making a summer playlist

MANILA, Philippines - You’ll hear all kinds of sounds this summer, from your grown-up neighbors secretly splashing around in a kiddie pool to chili bratwursts sizzling on a grill (Purefoods hotdogs, depending on your taste), to absolute silence.

This is where the idea of making a summer playlist comes into play. Ideally anything that recalls a sense of freedom should do the trick, but here are some helpful tips you can heed before you tread that temporary DJ path.

Determine what kind of summer you want to have first.

If you’re in the business of chilling, resort to low-energy tracks that spell afternoon siesta. If you’re on-the-go, go for the comfort songs right away. Travel can be tiring and you’ll definitely want to have those feel-great tracks ready to be played out… which leads me to my second point.

Feel free to include guilty pleasures.

Barry Manilow, Stacie Orrico, A.J. McLean, Dixie Chicks, Nelly, Gotye, The Fray, Cannibal Corpse, Washed Out (if you secretly love indie but hate hipster to be hip) — whatever your guilty pleasure is, put it on the list. It’s still a pleasure, after all, and that’s what this season should be about.

Discover disco and new dance tunes.

Summer’s for letting loose and discovering new ways to do so, so it might be a good idea to dig beyond the usual radio dance hits and balance that playlist with a few ice-cold unknowns. Go on hypem.com and look for remixes by Shazam, Duff Disco, Classixx, and more.

All Summer, No Bummer: Young Star’s Summer Mix

The goal is to make a playlist Thomas Mars of Phoenix would approve of.

A Gap Between – Summer Nightrunner

Advance Base – Summer Music

Lana del Rey - Summertime Sadness

Summer Camp – Better Off Without You

Best Coast – Summer Mood

Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday

Phoenix – Summer Days

Boy Crisis – Indian Summer

The Style Council – Long Hot Summer

Summer Heart – Please Stay

Bibio – Don’t Summarise My Summer Eyes

Neon Indian – Deadbeat Summer

Don Henley – The Boys of Summer

The Drums – Saddest Summer

Vacationer – Summer End

I Heart Sharks – Summer

Seals & Crofts – Summer Breeze

GUILTY BONUS: LFO – Summer Girls

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Download the mix for FREE at youngstarphils.tumblr.com